The day that changed everything
by Sheankelor
Summary: The day that it all started from Kazuma Ojiro's view point. Why was he hunting for Fumino, why did he marry her, what happened that evening after she went to sleep? Here is my idea. One-shot Reviews are welcomed, Flames are not.


Title: The day that changed everything  
Author: Ree  
Universe: Faster than a Kiss  
Version: During chapter 1  
Rating G

_There is no way that I own this... All characters belong to Tanaka Meca. Ma-kun and Ryuu just wouldn't hush telling me this, and made me write it. _

The day that changed everything

It had started out with a phone call. One of the other teachers answered it and talked to whomever it was on the line. The conversation was so quiet that Kuzuma would not be able to understand what was being said even if he had been trying to pay attention, which he wasn't. But the conversation after the phone was hung up was loud enough to break his concentration. Resting his pen on the papers he was grading, he stared at the group of teachers.

"That was some kid calling to find out if Kaji-san was still here."

"Of course she isn't. She isn't in any clubs."

"And all of us are here, so she isn't getting any extra help."

"Like she would try to."

"All that girl thinks about is fighting."

"That is probably what she is doing right now. She is probably having in some sort of fight."

"Who was it that called?"

"I don't know. Probably somebody at the house she is staying at."

"Maybe they wanted to tell her not to come back there. That is the only thing that ever changes with that girl... her address. I don't even know if the one in the books is current one, it has changed so much."

"Maybe Ojiro-sensei knows, he is her homeroom teacher."

"Ojiro-sensei..."

Kazuma stopped in the act of packing his bag and looked over at them. "Yes?"

"Do you know if Kaji-san's records are correct?"

Putting his pens into the holder inside the bag, he thought for a moment. "I think so. I had her update her address last month."

"Only one month, and they are already getting rid of her."

"Hey do you think she is going to join a gang?"

"You mean she isn't in one yet?"

"Maybe that is what she is doing, being initiated."

"If she isn't yet, I bet she will be in one by the end of the month."

A chorus of me toos followed. There were a few other deadlines suggested and the chemistry teacher started making an offical bet record. He turned to Ojiro-sensei. "So, what is your bet?" His pen was poised.

Kazuma closed his bag, latching it shut. They were just casually writing her off. Worse than that, they were betting on the date of her fall. "I'm not betting. Now, if you all will excuse me, I have to go." Picking up his bag, he headed out the door while the other teachers continued.

Out of the building, Kazuma tried to figure out where she might be. Someone had to stop her. He knew it wasn't going to be one of the foster homes she was in, and obviously it wasn't going to be one of the teachers that he had just left behind. Gangs were not the place to be, especially for girls, he knew that from first hand experience. Pulling from his memory, he went to hunt for her in all the conventional gang hang outs and then their initiation areas. Not finding her there heartened him a bit, some of those teachers were going to lose their bets. All of them would if it was up to him. At a loss where to look next, he headed for a nearby park. He wanted to sit down and think. He couldn't just rush about the city, that would get him no where. He hadn't made it this far without learning how to plan.

At first he spotted the little boy on the bench and a suitcase near him. The person next to him was blocked by the man standing in front of them. Body language told him that the guy was propositioning someone. A few quick forward steps combined with a side step, showed him that they girl was Kaji-san. _'She has a brother? Was she really kicked out of her home? Who would do that?'_ Even as he asked it, he knew that it could happen all to easily. Well, the first thing he could do for her was to get rid of the predator. All it took was one punch, done so fast that neither child realized what had happened, just that the guy was gone. What happened next was so fast, that he didn't know what he was doing until it was done. He had agreed to marry her.

All he originally had wanted was for her to come to his room. He would feed them dinner and give them a safe place to rest for the evening. Then tomorrow they would figure out where they could go. But she blew up and demanded that he marry her. That was the only way she would go with him.

Looking down at the paper, he signed in the correct box. _'I just couldn't let them stay there... I'm sure she would have accepted that guy if it meant she could make some money.'_ He glanced over at her little brother. Just watching them showed him how close they were. And it was that closeness that made him positive that she would do anything to take care of him. _'And that is why I said yes... to keep them both safe. And I couldn't back out of it... no, once an Ojiro gives their word, it is immutable.'_ Even as she signed the paper, he promised himself that this was going to be a marriage in name only.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

After he had seen that they were both tucked in the spare room and asleep, he headed next door. Knocking on the door, he prayed that Ryuu wasn't busy at the moment.

Ryuu waited to hear if the knock was going to come again. When it did, he knew it had to be either very important or it was a joke. No one knocked on his door after ten at night. Cracking it open, he looked into the face of his best friend. The expression on it told him that it was going to be a beer night. Taking a mental stock of what was in the fridge, he called back into his living room. "I'm sorry Yuki-chan, can we continue this later?"

A feminine voice answered Ryuu's call. "What? Come on Ryuu... surely you can send whoever it is away? Aren't I more important?"

Kazuma flickered his eyes from Ryuu to the girl that was just starting to sit up on the couch. "I can come back later, if you..." He got no further before Ryuu cuffed him on the head.

"Sorry, but this can't wait." Ryuu pulled Ma-kun through the door. He was hoping that if Yuki saw it was a guy that was pulling him away, she would be more forgiving.

Kazuma felt a pair of fine dark eyes accessing him, deciding if he was really worth Ryuu's attention.

Yuki looked the intruder over. The other man was a pathetic looking person. He was wearing a rumpled shirt with the sleeves rolled back and a pair of dress slacks. His hair was all mused and his glasses were sliding down his nose. Yuki flickered her gaze back at Ryuu. "Are you sure you want to spend your evening with him?" The pathetic man was about to speak, but Ryuu punched him in the stomach before he could utter a word.

"Yes, I'm certain. He wouldn't knock at my door unless it was something pretty important." Opening the door wider, he gestured for her to leave.

Huffing, she slipped her shoes on, and with a flip of her hair over her shoulder, she stormed out the door.

When the door closed behind her, Ryuu shoved Ma-kun onto the couch and headed for the beer. Opening both cans, he plopped one down in front of his best friend. "Okay, now talk."

Kazuma picked up that can and took a sip. Now that he was over here, he had no idea where to begin.

Ryuu waited a moment and then started in since the silence was getting too prolonged. "Did one of the high school girls try to make out with you? Did the other teachers figure out that you were once a yankee? Did they learn that you were Hell's Ma-Kun? "

"No... not any of those... No one has found out about my past. The principal has done a good job of keeping that quiet. And not one of those girls would want to make out with me."

Ryuu raised an eyebrow. "Then you must be doing a good job acting like a pathetic teacher. If not, they would be all over you."

Kazuma snorted into his beer as he tried not to laugh. "I think that I would scare them away." Leaning back on to the couch, he looked at the ceiling. "No, what happened was that I got married tonight."

Ryuu choked on his beer. When he finally caught his breath with the help of Ma-kun pounding him on the back, he glared up at his friend. "That is no joke to play. You told me that I would be you best man... and I haven't stood at your wedding yet, so you can't be married."

Pulling out the marriage license, he laid it on the table. "It happened so quickly, that I didn't have a chance to get you. She is sleeping next door."

Ryuu looked at the paper, a frown creasing his face. The frown slowly changed to a puzzled look. "Why aren't you over there then? It is you wedding night, what are you doing here having a beer with me? "

Kazuma raked his fingers through his hair. "It is the circumstances... she is my student."

Ryuu set his beer carefully on the table. "Your student? You married a high school girl?" When Ma-kun nodded yes, he continued. "Is she hot? I mean they keep talking about the hormones in the food making them mature faster... she has to be hot for you to marry her so quickly that you forgot to invite me."

"She has the most beautiful smile."

Ryuu prodded him as he gazed off into space. "And a figure to boot?" He knew Ma-kun had a thing for curves.

"No, not much of anything else. But she is real cute." He took another sip of his beer.

"Then I think you better start explaining." Ryuu rested his gaze on Ma-kun. He was going to use all the patience that he had learned working with four year olds. You had to be really patient with them to get them to tell you what was wrong.

Setting his beer down, Kazuma looked down at his clasped hands as he told what had happened. He started with the phone call and ended with the knock on Ryuu's door. Silence stretched through the apartment while Ryuu sorted through what he just heard.

"So, you are going to need help keeping this quiet. I'll do what I can. Do you at least like her?" He searched Ma-kun's eyes looking for the answer he hoped for.

"I don't love her..."

A glimmer in his eyes gave Ryuu hope. "But you might come to." He tried not to smile when Ma-kun looked startled. "You respect her. That can be a start. So, what is her name?"

Picking up the license, Kazuma put it back into pocket. "Fumino Kaji."

Ryuu stared at him for the longest moment. That name sounded familiar. Finally, he placed it. She was on the pick up list for one of the students at his school. "She has a brother you say. What is his name?"

"Teppei Kaji." Kazuma flashed him a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Teppei? Teppei Kaji... He is one of my students. He just joined us not to long ago. Just at the beginning of this school year."

"He started when you did?" Kazuma didn't even try to hide his surprise.

Ryuu nodded. "That means I can at least take him to school in the morning with me. That way, you and Fumino can get to school quickly without worrying about him. That is all I can think of to help right now, but you know the door is open if you need it."

Kazuma looked at his best friend and smiled. This was the reason that they got along so well. If Ryuu needed help, his door would be open, too. "Thanks."

"No problem... Now drink up, we are celebrating you marriage tonight!" Clanking his can against Ma-kun's he toasted to his friend's happiness before finishing off his beer. On the way to the fridge for more, he vowed quietly to himself to check out the girl, and then, if she deserved it, support her as much as he could. If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Ma-kun.


End file.
